The Champions

Ashleigh Vella and Chelsea Pickering pose for a promotional shot before the season started.

After recording one of the best seasons in program history, the Idaho State women's basketball team fell 70-41 to No. 3 seed Miami (FL) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bengals finished the 2011-12 season 24-8 overall and came within just one win of tying the most wins in a single season in program history.

"I'm very proud of our team to make it to this point," ISU Head Coach Seton Sobolewski said. "I told them in the locker room, they helped make a dream of mine come true. As a coach, you work hard your whole life and you hope you get an opportunity to be a head coach someday and you hope that you can put a team together that can make a run to win a championship and maybe play in the NCAA Tournament. I'm very, very proud of them and I told them I am indebted to them the rest of my life."

The 2011-12 season was one of the best Idaho State has ever seen. The program recorded its third regular season and Big Sky Tournament title. Idaho State started off Big Sky play with an 8-0 run and ISU's defensive play was not only leading the conference but was one of the best nationally. The 2011-12 preseason also saw impressive wins against Chattanooga, South Florida University and Boise State University.

After leading the Bengals to their best season under his leadership, Sobolewski was named Big Sky Coach of the Year in a unanimous decision by the league's coaches. After defeating Montana on Jan. 7, Sobolewski had recorded a win against every Big Sky team over his four-year career at ISU and his career record at ISU is now 68-55.

The Big Sky defending champs will return all of its starters but one next season.